Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1451
Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead Collection
19TH-6TH CENTURY B.C.
1 - 3 in. (176 grams total, 25-77 mm).
Including triangular, leaf-shaped, barbed, paddle-shaped with a flat, comparatively wide mid-rib, and others. [27]
Provenance
Ex London art market, 1980-1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Literature
Cf. for similar arrow-points Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg, 2003, in Russian, (plate XLIII, nos.26-27, 92-93).
Footnotes
Some of the represented arrowheads (paddle-shaped) were typical of the Old Babylonian Empire. The shoulders were pronounced and the arrowhead had a rectangular-section tapering tang. This simple form was popular throughout and such items are comparatively common finds in the Holy Land.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Medieval Bronze Sword Chape
15th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Scalloped border on the upper edge, sharply tapering body with collar at the narrow end. 16.7 grams, 71 mm
Ex European collection, 1990s. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection. -
Luristan Bronze Short Sword Blade
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
With double-edged blade with central midrib, lateral extensions at the shoulders, and short tang. 341 grams, 47.5 cm
Property of a London gentleman; acquired London art market, 2000s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
A piriform missile with domed filler-hole and vertical segmented bands with impressed geometric designs; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 461 grams, 13.5 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.
Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
